Here are two photos of our first Leyland Mastiff MPT784J kindly loaned to me by ■■■■ Barrett-Atkin, who actually sold us the vehicle new. ■■■■ must be one of the bestCommercial Sales managers Ever starting in the 50s with Turvey’s Sunderland (Morris dealers) moving to Byers Dun Turvey Sunderland when the three dealeships merged, then Hargreaves vehices (Leyland) and finally where he is still working North East Truck & Van.■■■■ was hampered by selling orriginally BMC then Leyland products, An top Sales Expert lumbered with that lot. MPT is seen with three Taskers 40ft singe axle trailers when almost new. (Turveys were agents for Taskers) Although I don’t know where, suspect taken at the Taskers factor
Hiya,
Carl. can you tell me why the top trailer was transported upside down ■■ it wouldn’t
make the load any lower, I’ve carried trailers but always “wheels down” and loaded
so they could with the aid of a ramp be unloaded using a tractor unit.
thanks harry, long retired.
harry_gill:
Hiya,
Carl. can you tell me why the top trailer was transported upside down ■■ it wouldn’t
make the load any lower, I’ve carried trailers but always “wheels down” and loaded
so they could with the aid of a ramp be unloaded using a tractor unit.
thanks harry, long retired.
Could it be that if the truck/trailer rolled over they just could couple a unit to the upper (now lower!) trailer and drag it all back home, therefore saving on recovery charges Harry? Canny lads in the North East! 
Pete.
windrush:
harry_gill:
Hiya,
Carl. can you tell me why the top trailer was transported upside down ■■ it wouldn’t
make the load any lower, I’ve carried trailers but always “wheels down” and loaded
so they could with the aid of a ramp be unloaded using a tractor unit.
thanks harry, long retired.Could it be that if the truck/trailer rolled over they just could couple a unit to the upper (now lower!) trailer and drag it all back home, therefore saving on recovery charges Harry? Canny lads in the North East!
Pete.
To be honest I haven’t got a clue. I was given the photos yesterday and never knew this had happened as I wasn’t involved. However, the trailers were bran new and collected from Taskers, who manufactured them. I know we had two Taskers single axle trailers but we must have had three.Its 44 years ago now so I can be forgiven forgetting, but presumably Taskers loaded the trailers, probably with a crane & must have thought that that was the safest way to travel, perhaps, but there again they might have had them stacked like that and just picked the two up together
Carl Williams:
windrush:
harry_gill:
Hiya,
Carl. can you tell me why the top trailer was transported upside down ■■ it wouldn’t
make the load any lower, I’ve carried trailers but always “wheels down” and loaded
so they could with the aid of a ramp be unloaded using a tractor unit.
thanks harry, long retired.Could it be that if the truck/trailer rolled over they just could couple a unit to the upper (now lower!) trailer and drag it all back home, therefore saving on recovery charges Harry? Canny lads in the North East!
Pete.
To be honest I haven’t got a clue. I was given the photos yesterday and never knew this had happened as I wasn’t involved. However, the trailers were bran new and collected from Taskers, who manufactured them. I know we had two Taskers single axle trailers but we must have had three.Its 44 years ago now so I can be forgiven forgetting, but presumably Taskers loaded the trailers, probably with a crane & must have thought that that was the safest way to travel, perhaps, but there again they might have had them stacked like that and just picked the two up together
Correct me if I’m wrong but I think Taskers were from Andover
Yes Carl, Anna Valley, Andover. I had a friend who worked in the foundry there.
Pete.
windrush:
Yes Carl, Anna Valley, Andover. I had a friend who worked in the foundry there.Pete.
Yes like all good British manufacturing closed down after about 150 years and no doubt housing or shops built on the site
Housing I believe Carl, and I don’t suppose that many of the householders realise that they live where traction engines were once manufactured! 
Pete.
windrush:
Housing I believe Carl, and I don’t suppose that many of the householders realise that they live where traction engines were once manufactured!Pete.
Just as I thought. What a stupid country we live in, using all the industrial land for houses & shops. When they find we have to make things & produce to keep going all the factories will be gone and no land for anymore
Here is a photo of MPT 393J the first of three BMC 350FGs we had built by Marsden, once again photo taken & loaned to us from ■■■■ Barratt-Atkins the Sales manager who orriginaly sold us the chassis cabs. At ■■■■’s suggestion we had the larger 3.8 litre BMC engine fitted, with high speed rear axel, and for once the three performed as exceptional vehicles. Not too good to drive, but reliable. The reason for the original choice was at 3.5ton gross they were exempt from operator’s licening. This photo must have been taken by ■■■■ when the van was new arriving back at Spennymoor directly from Marsden’s Warrington who built the body and painted. ■■■■ incorrectly thought that this was the van I drove over the Alps to Naples and back, but in fact that was its youngest sister, the thirds in the batch CUP305L
Carl Williams:
Here is a photo of MPT 393J the first of three BMC 350FGs we had built by Marsden, once again photo taken & loaned to us from ■■■■ Barratt-Atkins the Sales manager who orriginaly sold us the chassis cabs. At ■■■■’s suggestion we had the larger 3.8 litre BMC engine fitted, with high speed rear axel, and for once the three performed as exceptional vehicles. Not too good to drive, but reliable. The reason for the original choice was at 3.5ton gross they were exempt from operator’s licening. This photo must have been taken by ■■■■ when the van was new arriving back at Spennymoor directly from Marsden’s Warrington who built the body and painted. ■■■■ incorrectly thought that this was the van I drove over the Alps to Naples and back, but in fact that was its youngest sister, the thirds in the batch CUP305L
To make matters almost complete here is a photo of CPT404L, MPT393J’s youngest sister the third was RPT K (I think) CPT was slightly longer than the other two but apart from that, totally identical. We had, by the time Marsden built the third moved from Marmaduke Street to Green Lane and Operators Licencing problems had gone away so it might never have been had we known, but the three all worked hard for us until we finished in 1986.
CPT was in fact the van I drove to and from Naples as well I remember. I went to collect a removal which we had estimated from a list provided in the post. It went on (just) but what the homeoner had not told us was that he collected stones (A lot of them) and CPT which legally could only carry about 1 ton (3.5 less 2 ton Unladen), and we had a load which must have been approaching 3 ton. The Alps before us, I arrived at the bottom just as it was getting dark to make the climb up. This was to keep the temperature as low as possible to give the Leyland 3.5 litre engine the best chance of not overheating. 4 hours later after continual 2nd gear we parked up at a hotel to sleep. Phil Reilly was with me as my porter (and navigator) said ‘Thank heavens we are here’ I then had the sad news to tell him the brakes were not working due t being overloaded and next morning we had to make the decline into France hoping it help in second gear. Wasn’t life exciting in those days
Carl Williams:
Here is a photo of MPT 393J the first of three BMC 350FGs we had built by Marsden, once again photo taken & loaned to us from ■■■■ Barratt-Atkins the Sales manager who orriginaly sold us the chassis cabs. At ■■■■’s suggestion we had the larger 3.8 litre BMC engine fitted, with high speed rear axel, and for once the three performed as exceptional vehicles. Not too good to drive, but reliable. The reason for the original choice was at 3.5ton gross they were exempt from operator’s licening. This photo must have been taken by ■■■■ when the van was new arriving back at Spennymoor directly from Marsden’s Warrington who built the body and painted. ■■■■ incorrectly thought that this was the van I drove over the Alps to Naples and back, but in fact that was its youngest sister, the thirds in the batch CUP305L
Hope you don’t mind Carl,brightened it up a bit.
paul motyka:
Carl Williams:
Here is a photo of MPT 393J the first of three BMC 350FGs we had built by Marsden, once again photo taken & loaned to us from ■■■■ Barratt-Atkins the Sales manager who orriginaly sold us the chassis cabs. At ■■■■’s suggestion we had the larger 3.8 litre BMC engine fitted, with high speed rear axel, and for once the three performed as exceptional vehicles. Not too good to drive, but reliable. The reason for the original choice was at 3.5ton gross they were exempt from operator’s licening. This photo must have been taken by ■■■■ when the van was new arriving back at Spennymoor directly from Marsden’s Warrington who built the body and painted. ■■■■ incorrectly thought that this was the van I drove over the Alps to Naples and back, but in fact that was its youngest sister, the thirds in the batch CUP305LHope you don’t mind Carl,brightened it up a bit.0
Thanks looks like new again
Hi Carl, I found this photo of Marmaduke St. while sorting through some old family snapshots. The year is 1936 and shows my mother, who was born at No.9 and her nephew Doug Milburn who has been mentioned previously on this thread.
Mysterron:
Hi Carl, I found this photo of Marmaduke St. while sorting through some old family snapshots. The year is 1936 and shows my mother, who was born at No.9 and her nephew Doug Milburn who has been mentioned previously on this thread.
Hi Mysteron,
That’s a wonderful photo. That must have been the garage before the big one was built in 1946. Also There is a thread on Facebook Spennymoor past & present, put on by Sue Gray who I believe was related to the Harrisons who Doug Milburn was staying with during the war. Would you mind if I put this photo on Facebook & in her group. or would you rather do it. Its a piece of Spennymoor history
Carl Williams:
Mysterron:
Hi Carl, I found this photo of Marmaduke St. while sorting through some old family snapshots. The year is 1936 and shows my mother, who was born at No.9 and her nephew Doug Milburn who has been mentioned previously on this thread.Hi Mysteron,
That’s a wonderful photo. That must have been the garage before the big one was built in 1946. Also There is a thread on Facebook Spennymoor past & present, put on by Sue Gray who I believe was related to the Harrisons who Doug Milburn was staying with during the war. Would you mind if I put this photo on Facebook & in her group. or would you rather do it. Its a piece of Spennymoor history
Feel free Carl, I will get in touch with Sue as I haven’t spoken to her for a while.
Carl hope you keeping well, me and i`am sure hundreds more really miss your regular imputs of the W H Williams Spennymore history, always been a most interesting read and great photos, looking forward to the next installment. Regards Dave
3piece-wheel:
Carl hope you keeping well, me and i`am sure hundreds more really miss your regular imputs of the W H Williams Spennymore history, always been a most interesting read and great photos, looking forward to the next installment. Regards Dave
Hi Dave,
Thanks fr your kind thoughts
This is the first time I’ve looked n for some time & I must add more
My son Paul, has recently joined Chatfields DAF as a sales executve, based between their Stockton and Birtley sites, and fortunately covers Durham County.
He has picked up a few photos on his travels and I must add them.
Paul was only about two when we closed, but its strange how its just in his blood. Also so many hauliers he visits still remember us or have heard though their parents, and I think most will like one of their own to call and see them, instead of someone of no transport knowledge. I try to fill him in with what I can remember of those he goes to see, and what they carried etc (From the past). But how different things are today.
He attends courses at DAF where self driving wagons etc are discussed and videos of drivers moving their seat back from the steering wheel and swivelling it round so they can relax, have a bite to eat and watch TV as the wagon goes down the motorway.
Paul served his time as a mechanic and is particularly interested in the mechanical side, as how things work, and he was just telling me about the DAF gearbox which is not actually automatic, but the computer decides assessing the engine temp and gradient of the road (using SAT Nav technology) exactly how & when to change down or up. It depresses its own clutch, & they say a clutch can last about 1 million miles) and thats with us today. I said complicated things like that bring lots of problems but he tells me the mechanics are really basic and nothing complicated to wear or replace. The computer and blue tooth does it all. From my experience only time will tell, as I’ve heard it all before.
Carl
Advert from when our Sunderland Office was opened (After Newcastle but before London, Wellingborough, and Sheffield)
Here is a photo of vans parked in our Spennymoor depot. If you zoom in you can see one of two Magirus Deutz 7.5 ton Lutons based with two other 7.5 ton vans at our Sheffield Depot. It is parked lpoking up behind the breakdown & Sheffield is where Spennymoor would usually be shown
